Clinical indicators for certain conditions frequently require greater specificity in ICD-10-CM for which a query is often required. This article takes a closer look at clinical indicators and ICD-10-CM reporting for transient ischemic attack (TIA) and underlying causes and consequences. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Emmel Golden, MD, FCCP, CCDS , reviews three recent studies detailing sepsis trends in the U.S. and writes that now is a great time to shed light on how important complete, precise documentation and coding are to understanding the sepsis health challenges we face as a country.
Q: What are the benefits to having coders review charts for appropriate capture of CCs and MCCs, and how can our coding team get started in this process?
Sydni Johnson, RN, BSN, CCDS , and Denice Piwowar, BSN, RN, CCDS , detail some basics of clinical validation and how to request supporting indicators of a documented diagnosis without questioning the provider’s judgment.
CMS recently announced 27 new ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS codes, along with corresponding MS-DRG assignment, for diagnoses and procedures related to COVID-19. These new codes will become effective for discharges on or after January 1.
Q: We have an elderly patient admitted to our hospital who is also presenting with osteoarthritis (OA) of the right knee. How can we determine primary versus secondary OA, and how would it be reported in ICD-10-CM?
Alicia Kutzer, Esq., LL.M., M.H.A , reviews CMS’ Interim Final Rule with Request for Comments (IFC) concerning coverage, billing, and payment for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. This guidance is imperative for inpatient hospitals to evaluate to ensure proper documentation and reimbursement.
Sarah A. Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS, details ICD-10-CM reporting and clinical indicators for hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and complications caused by cirrhosis such as ascites and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently announced it plans to audit hospital inpatient claims. According to the report, the OIG wants to determine if inpatient claims with short lengths of stay were incorrectly billed as inpatient when they should have been billed as outpatient or outpatient with observation.
Sarah Nehring, RHIT, CCS, CCDS , details three significant changes to the ICD-10-CM tabular list Excludes notes that may prove valuable to hospitals in fiscal year (FY) 2021, including updates to Excludes notes for encephalopathy, toxic encephalopathy, and more. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
Gloryanne Bryant, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCDS, writes that the better the CDI policies and procedures, the better CDI and inpatient coding departments can work efficiently together to achieve proper documentation, coding, and reimbursement.
Up to now, public health data collection has been mainly focused on adult COVID-19 patients, but we are beginning to see data indicating that COVID-19 is impacting children’s health as well. With more of the spotlight on pediatric COVID-19 diagnoses, it’s important to ensure proper documentation to help improve data collection.
Q: Our coding team is having trouble understanding the different types of chronic respiratory failure (CRF) and knowing when to suspect its presence when it’s not specifically documented by our physicians. Can you please help us with this?
Incorrect acute stroke diagnosis codes reported by Medicare providers resulted in millions of dollars in increased payments to Medicare Advantage organizations, according to a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report.
Sarah Nehring, CCS, CCDS, RHIT, writes that acute blood loss anemia can increase expected reimbursement, the expected length of stay, and the severity of illness for an encounter. For these reasons, she presents seven things coders wish providers knew about accurately documenting this condition.
Encephalopathy affects nearly one in three novel coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
Q: CMS created a new MS-DRG for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 IPPS final rule. Which ICD-10-PCS codes group to this new MS-DRG and does it qualify for an additional new technology add-on payment?
It’s more important than ever that organizations keep ahead of COVID-19 ICD-10-CM and MS-DRG audits and denials. The financial strain that many organizations are under makes it imperative that they minimize disruptions to revenue.
Adrienne Commeree, CPC, CPMA, CCS, CEMC, CPIP, RHIA , examines the reporting for codes in Chapter 13, Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue, of the ICD-10-CM manual, which included infectious arthropathies, inflammatory polyarthropathies, osteoarthritis, and other joint disorders. Note : To access this free article, make sure you first register here if you do not have a paid subscription.
